The latter move includes pushing "any and all (capital) projects back into future years," according to Hessian.

Hessian declined to say what proposed projects are affected by the decision, but he said the company will strive to improve both product quality and customer service to help maintain its share of the market.

Officials at Domtar's Montreal headquarters have announced that the corporation will eliminate 1,300 salaried positions by the end of the year and will focus on its packaging facilities which can service demands for recycled material.

"Most of Eastern Canada's forest products industry is in for a severe and difficult 1991 and probably 1992," Hessian predicted. "There will be a great need to determine the direction each mill or company will take in the 1990s."

Hessian attributed the current downturn at Domtar to the recession, the strength of the Canadian dollar and the Canada/U.S. Free Trade Agreement.

"A 70-cent dollar would be great," he quipped.

FULL PRODUCTION

What will help St. Marys Paper of Sault Ste. Marie during the coming months is that the company's new super-calendered paper machine is expected to reach full production as the market takes an upturn.

The machine, which was purchased in 1988, can produce 1,400 metres of paper per minute. According to Jim Withers, St. Marys' vice-president of operations, the machine is currently operating at 85-per-cent capacity.

"We're a little behind target, but increasing it steadily," he said.

"We expect that 1991 is going to be a very difficult year for us," Withers admitted. "We're continuing to operate at full capacity, but it is a depressed market."

SPENDING REDUCED

A gloomy forecast has also led to a reduction of capital projects at Abitibi-Price Inc.

Mickey Devine, senior vice-president and general manager of the North American publishers business division for Abitibi-Price, said the company's overall spending has been reduced, but there are still large projects, such as the Fort William recycling project, in the works.

"There will be fewer projects, but we'll be spending more in Northern Ontario," he said.

The company recently received a $6.7-million grant from Ontario Hydro for the Fort William project.

In its annual forecast the Canadian Pulp and Paper Association predicted that shipments of pulp, paper and cardboard will increase 1.9 per cent this year to 24.6 million metric tons.

"It might be true for overall shipments," said Devine, "but for newsprint it could be overly optimistic."

Devine noted that if the association's forecast is correct, Abitibi-Price will probably be among the companies leading the increase.

Devine added that the wild card in any forecast for 1991 is the conflict in the Persian Gulf.

"With all the unknowns around it, there's bound to be a feeling of general conservatism," he said. "It will have a negative impact on sales.

"We're expecting an even year with 1990, which basically means no growth."

Many industry officials agree that the strength of the Canadian dollar hurt the industry in 1990.

"Obviously the lower the dollar the better, but I'd be a lot happier with an 80-cent dollar than with an 86-cent dollar," said Robert Chambers, president of the Great Lakes and Tahis Pacific Region for Canadian Pacific Forest Products.

Chambers also pointed to the recession south of the border as a factor contributing to the industry's woes.

"The forest industry usually leads the recession into the downturn, but we usually lead the upturn too," he said. "Most of our products are tied to the general level of the economy.

"Our newsprint is tied to advertising levels and lumber is tied to construction levels."

Withers said the strength of the dollar will hurt St. Marys competitiveness in its major market. Because approximately 98 per cent of the company's production is exported to the United States, Withers said St. Marys' health will depend on the strength of the U.S. economy.

"The strength of their economy influences demand, which dictates prices," he said. "We've heard general predictions that their economy will be weak for anywhere from six to 12 months."

1990

If 1991 figures follow company expectations, it will be the second straight year of disappointing sales and revenue performance for Domtar. However, the downturn was anticipated by the company.

Last year the company registered a net loss of $294 million, a steep decline from the $33 million in net earnings reported in 1989.

While figures were down for Canadian Pacific as well, the addition of a white paper machine at its Dryden mill helped the company weather the downturn better than other pulp and paper producers.

"The white paper machine is operating at capacity," Chambers noted. "It's helped stabilize us a bit, since white papers aren't as prone to wild (price and demand) swings."

Canadian Pacific reported net earnings of $12.4 million for the first three quarters of 1990, down from $183.1 million in 1989. Sales for the first nine months totalled $1.9 million compared with $2.1 million in 1989.

The financial picture at Abitibi-Price was even bleaker during 1990. The company suffered a $700,000 loss for the first three quarters. Sales for the period totalled $59 million, down from $757 million in 1989.

Devine said the figures, as well as the company's overall performance in 1990, were affected by the strength of the dollar, declining demand for products and the lengthy strike by members of the Canadian Paperworkers Union early last fall.

PHOTO : The white paper machine operated at Canadian Pacific Forest Products' Dryden mill has helped the company weather the downturn better than pulp producers.

CHRIS KREJLGAARD Staff Writer

COPYRIGHT 1991 Laurentian Business Publishing, Inc.
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